Woven fabric.



No. 67|,497. Patented Apr. 9, I90I.

H. W. SMITH.

WOVEN FABRIC.

(Application led Sept. 8, 1900.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

HARRY w. SMITH, oF GRAFToN, MASSACHUSETTS.

wovEN FABRlc.

SPECIFICATION forming' part 0f Letters Patent N0. 671,497, dated April 9, 1901.

Application filed September 8, 1900.

To a/ZZ whom 7125 may concern:

. Be it known that I, HARRY W. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grafton, county of Worcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Woven Fabrics, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specication, like letters on the drawings representing like parts,

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to woven fabrics, and more particularly to such fabrics wherein the two faces present moisture-absorbing surfaces, such as toweling and the like. Such forms of fabrics, known as Turkish toweling, have heretofore been produced with moisture-absorbing Surfaces by forming on each face thereof projecting warp loops or pile by the process of terry-weaving, wherein the warps at the moment of beat-up are slackened somewhat to permit the lay to double up or form the slack of each warp into a loop or pile, which slackness is at once hound in by the weft or filling as the lay reaches the fell. In such form of fabric, however, the warp threads, which form the moisture-absorbing surface of the towel, are necessarily spun or twisted suffrciently hard to withstand the strain to which they are subjected during the process of weaving, and as a consequence their moisture-ah'- sorbing qualities are much impaired, since the harder the twist the less readily will they absorb moisture. Moreover, unless such fabrics are closely woventhat is, unless the weft or filling is well beaten up-the warploops are liable to be pulled out or elongated unequally, thus rendering the surface of the fabric uneven and materially destroying its moisture-ahsorhing quality.

It is one of the objects of my present invention to overcome the objections above pointed out and to produce a loosely-woven fabric in which the warp and weft or filling shall he securely tied together and in which both faces shall present moisture-absorbing surfaces.

To this end my invention consists of a fabric formed of cross-woven warp-threads and a filling or weft tied in by the crossings of the warp and consisting of a loose, bunchy,

or knotty yarn, all as will be hereinafter more Serial No. 29,364. (NQ specimens.)

fully described, and definitely pointed outin the claims.

While in the present embodiment of my invention I have described the saine as more especially adapted for toweling, it is to be understood, of course, that my invention is not necessarily limited thereto, as the fabric is adapted to he employed whenevera moistureabsorbing surface is desired.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view showing a portion of a fabric embodying my invention and woven as a series of towels joined by an intermediate portion, which heing severed Inidway between the sections constituting the towels proper may constitute a border, part of the fabric being broken away. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail showing more fully the relative position ofthe threads. Fig. 3 shows the weft or iilling in detail.

The warp-threads ah may he of any de sired character; but I preferably form them line or hard-twisted for a purpose that will hereinafter appear.

The weft or llingthread C is especially designed for the purpose of forming a highlyabsorbent fibrous surface for the fabric, and preferably consists of a plurality of bodythreads c,having the requsite strength to withstand the strain incident to weaving, which are laid or twisted about a loosely-spun yarn d. In order to increase the moisture-absorbing quality of the weft or filling the looselyspun yarn dis kinked or hunched at intervals to form enlargements of, and to retain the loosely-spun yarn d in this kinked or hunched condition the body-threads c are preferably laid or twisted about the same in reverse order, as will clearly appear from Fig. 3. While this form of weft or filling is preferred, it is tobe understood that it is not essential, since the bunches or kinks of the loosely-spun yarn CZ may be held in position in other ways, as will he obvious, it being only necessary that the bunches or kinks he prevented from movinglongitudinally of the body thread or threads c, as during the weaving operation.

In order to secure the full moistureabsorbing quality of the weft or filling, it is necessary that there shall be a loose relation or space between the same to permit the kinks IOO or bunches of the loosely-spun yarn CZ free opportnnity for expansion during the act of absorbing moisture. On the other hand, it is essential to the proper wearing quality of the fabric that the weft or filling shall be securely held by the warp-threads', and this twofold result is secured by arranging the warps in setstwo pairs to each set-and cross-weaving said pairs of warp t-o bind the weft or filling by the crossings of the warps of the pair in each set, as will be evident from Fig. 2, wherein the warps a b constitutefa pair, and two such pairs constitute a set,the weft or filling C being bound securely in place by the crossings of the warp-threads of each pair in each set. This particular arrangement of sets of warpthreads is not essential, ofcourse, since any disposition of such threads in cross-weaving to properly bind the weft or filling in position would be within the scope of the invention.

The warp-threads, as hereinbefore stated, are preferably of relatively fine character and may be hard-twisted, if desired, the effect of which is that under the tension placed upon said threads during weaving theysink or bury themselves well into the fiber of the looselyspnn yarn d.

The body-threads c, which give the requisite tensile strength to the weft or filling C and hold the bunches or kinks in position, are likewise embedded in the loose fiber of the loosely-spun yarn d, thus leaving the surface of the fabric formed of the projecting kinks or bunches of the said yarn, which, being highly absorbent, present surfaces particularly well adapted for toweling and like purposes. Moreover, the crossings of the warpthreads and the reverse windings of the bodythreads c of the weft or filling mutually contribute to properlyv holding the bunches or kinks of the loosely-spun yarn d in position even under the most severe usage.

In weaving the fabric constituting my invention Imay, if' desired, weave the same' tion D of a fine or hard-twisted weft or lling f instead of the moisture-absorbing weft or filling C and separating the sections A and B, as on the line F, the said' sections A and B each being formed of the proper length to constitute a towel, the said sections or towels can be provided with a border, whichV can be properly hemmed or sewed, as desired.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire-to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A woven fabric for toweling and the like, comprising cross-woven warp-threads, and a loosely bunched or kinked weft or filling thread tied by the crossing of the warpthreads leaving the bunches or kinks exposed on the faces of the fabric to constitute moisture-absorbing surfaces.

2. A loosely-woven fabric comprising fine or hard-twisted cross-woven Warp threads, and a weft or filling thread tied by the crossings of the warp-threads and formed of a body or foundation thread and a loosely-spun yarn carried thereby and having kinks or bunches constituting moisture-absorbing surfaces for said fabric.'

3. A Woven fabric comprising fine or hardtwisted cross-woven Warp-threads, and a weft or filling thread tied by the crossings of the warp-threads, said weft or filling thread being formed of a loosely spun and kinked or bunched yarn, and a plurality of body or foundation threads for holding the kinks or bunches in position, the said warp-threads being embedded in thelooselyspun yarn where they cross the latter, thereby producing moisture-absorbing surfaces on the fabric, formed by the bunches or kinks of the loosely-spun yarn.

4. A woven fabric comprising fine or hardtwisted cross-woven warp-threads, and a weft or filling thread tied by the crossings of the warp-threads, said weft or filling thread being formed of a loosely-spun and kinked or bunched yarn and a plurality of body or foundation threads reversely wound about the same and embedded therein to hold the kinks or bunches in place, the said warpthreads being also embedded in the looselyspun yarn where they cross the latter, whereby the fabric is provided with moisture-absorbing surfaces formed of the bunches or kinks of the 1ooselyspun yarn.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY W. SMITH.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. GREGORY, RoBT. P. HARRIS.

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